For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in.
- KJV For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.
- BSB Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.
- NASB The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.
- NLT The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Their false refuge is like a bed too short and a blanket too narrow—utterly inadequate.
Overview
Isaiah pictures their security as a bed one cannot stretch out on and a covering too small to wrap up in. Every refuge apart from God leaves the soul exposed and unsatisfied. This proverb exposes the inadequacy of all human attempts at safety, driving us to the all-sufficient covering found in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Cor 1:18–31For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.
- Isa 64:6For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
- Rom 9:30–32What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
- Jer 7:8–10Behold, you trust in lying words, that can’t profit.
- Isa 59:5–6They hatch adders’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web. He who eats of their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.
- Isa 57:12–13I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.
- Isa 66:3–6He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog’s neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig’s blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations:
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 28:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.